LSU National Champion Angel Reese Reveals Why She Only Wears One Legging
Published April 4 2023, 12:27 p.m. ET
LSU national champion Angel Reese has dominated the headlines lately — first, for her controversial hand gesture toward Iowa Hawkeyes superstar point guard Caitlin Clark, and now, for her appearance on the basketball court. For those unaware, Angel is known for wearing a legging just on her left leg. Wait, why is that? Let's find out.
Why does Angel Reese cover one leg on the court?
Ahead of the Elite Eight, a reporter finally asked the beloved Bayou Barbie why she wears a full-leg sleeve only on her left leg in every game. Angel revealed via Nola.com that though are a few reasons, the biggest one is because of a gnarly scar she has on her leg from an operation.
"I had surgery two years ago on my shin. I have a rod in my leg," she said at a press conference. "Many people don't know that. I cover the scar for one, then [the] two players that I really admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they also wear it, too. So it's swag. But I've used it to cover my scar."
Angel recently defended her controversial gesture, calling out a double standard.
In the final seconds of the 2023 NCAA women's basketball national championship game, Angel approached Caitlin Clark and moved her open hand in front of her face — a gesture popularized by WWE star John Cena to mean "you can’t see me."
Although the Iowa point guard made the exact same gesture to another player earlier in the tournament, Angel's actions have sparked much debate on social media. Some have criticized Angel, while others have defended her and highlighted how there was no public outrage in response to Caitlin's gesture.
In a post-game press conference, Angel spoke about the difference in reaction she received compared to Caitlin: "All year, I was critiqued for who I was. I don't fit the narrative, I don't fit the box that y'all want me to be in. I'm too hood. I'm too ghetto. Y'all told me that all year. But when other people do it, and y'all don’t say nothing," she said via CNN.
"So this is for the girls that look like me. For those that want to speak up for what they believe in. It's unapologetically you," Angel continued. "And that's what I did it for tonight. It was bigger than me tonight. And Twitter is going to go into a rage every time."